What to take with you on vacation in the Philippines.
Vacation in the Philippines for the first time, and you wonder, what to take with you ? This is a guide that I write with you in mind. And from my own experience I will try to advise you what you should take with you and what is not worth taking with you.
What is worth knowing :
Weather in the Philippines - clothes
It is always warm in the Philippines, or even hot. It rains, but not like in England or Wales. Even in the rainy season it is not so bad. I remember how it was in Ormoc or Siquijor, when it was raining twice or three times a week, rarely in a row, usually at night. It is good to have some kind of raincoat with you, with a breathable material, otherwise you just boil yourself. Very important thing here, what you have to remember is frequent power outages. There will probably be no surprise here, the power sockets are American, which means two plates. The voltage is 230 V, but you have to know that if you are on a small island, the power supply ranges from 170 V to 250 V. If someone is planning to use a laptop, it is better to ask about the voltage regulator, or try to limit its use in the afternoon, evening. It is mainly about the battery. It should be remembered that whatever you take with you to the Philippines is practically unnecessary. Take a few things for disguise, necessarily short shorts or short skirts, T-shirts, one warm clothing and one long pants. Anyway, anything you take here it will be more expensive to buy in Europe or anywhere else. For example, large toothpaste costs about 80 pesos, soap or shampoo, cream or whatever else is very cheap in the Philippines. It is pointless to carry heavy luggage to a country where everything is one third of the price. I will even tell you that, we bought a two-person tent of a good company, for less than 800 pesos. I also discourage you from taking heavy stuff. Remember, it is warm and hot in the Philippines, whether it is day, night or rain.
Medicines in the Philippines.
Co do leków, Filipiny są chyba znane z tego, że na każdym kroku jest apteka, ale głównie sprzedają paracetamol i podobne. także jeśli ktoś musi zażywać jakieś specyficzne leki - pamiętajcie o ich spakowaniu. Służba zdrowia jest ogólnie dostępna i dobra, ale i też się ceni, jeśli ktoś by wymagał leczenia w szpitalu. Warto zabezpieczyć się w jakieś ubezpieczenie, co z pewnością się przyda przy dłuższym pobycie.
Safety in the Philippines.
Thefts happen in big cities, a few times in Manila or Cebu someone opened my backpack, the only thing that I lost was the bright orange socks, which are useful on ferries, if someone plans to travel at night, and the phone in Manila was ripped out of my hand by a motorcycle. It is worth to be careful and have the backpack in front.
Language in the Philippines, basic prices.
In Philippines mainly everyone speaks English, so if you speak English, you will have no problems, either in offices or at the marketplace. All you need to know is that being a tourist in the Philippines costs money, it is good to ask the locals how much it costs, before you go blind to the marcet. Bargaining will not hurt, just remember to do it nicely and politely. Filipinos do not like arrogant people. I always follow the rule, if not this one, will be the next one. The first Taxi from the port in Siquijor to the hotel cost me 250 pesos, when the next day I paid only 20. A man learns best from his mistakes. That is why my idea to write you everything that comes to my mind, so that you do not make my mistakes.
Bathroom and water.
The water in the tap is not that cold, like in Europe, icy, I'd say lukewarm, and warm on a day. I hardly met any places where there were any water heaters. After a few days I found it for a blessing, after a hot day or night there is nothing better than a cooling down shower. Sometimes a few times a day. Don't be surprised how you will find a tap in the bathroom and a bucket with a small dish under it. That's how most Filipinos take a shower. pouring water from the bucket. Rather forget about the bathtub if you are going on a budget :)
Telephones and internet.
When it comes to phones or the Internet - take off the SIM lock and buy a card in Philippines, but not at the airport, because you will pay several hundred times over :) I've already written about it before which internet to choose here.
Shopping in the Philippines.
Don't be surprised when you see all the items in disposable sachets in stores. This is the norm in poor countries. Hardly anyone can afford to buy a big box of anything, besides they do not store or waste anything. You know how it is in Europe, you buy a big box and half of it gets mouldy and you have to throw it away. Besides, there are few fridges here, I would say that a fridge is a luxury. So are the washing machines. Most often they wash by hand, and in luxury it is our old "Frania" which is rotary washing machine. But anyway, you just have to wring it and hang it outside so that everything is dry in a few hours.
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